Merry-go-round.



No. 871,306. PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

W. S. THURLOW.

MERRY-GO-ROUND.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 24. 1906.

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No. 871,306.- PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907. W. S. THURLOW. MERRY-GO-ROUND.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.24,1906.

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'No. 871,306. PATENTED NOV.-19, 1907.

W. S. THURLOW.

MERRY-GO-ROUND.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24. 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ME RRY-GO-ROUN D.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1907.

Application filed November 2&1 1906. Serial No. 344.854.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WINFIELD S. THURLOW, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and ImprovedMerry-Go-Round, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to improvements in merry-go-rounds and the objectof my invention is to elaborate this system of amusement and produce astructure which has a wider scope and affords greater amusement than canbe had with the ordinary device of this In consonance with this idea myinvention comprises a relatively large structure inwhich plural seriesof moving objects can be arranged to travel in concentric lines; furtherI provide means whereby the individual efforts'of some of the riderswill accelerate their speed so that the element of racing can enter intothe sport; also I provide in connection with the structure a rotatingdance floor and finally I provide an observation tower which can be usedas a beer garden or for any other necessary or desirable purpose.

With these ends in view my invention consists of certain features ofconstruction and combinations of arts which will be hereinafterdescribed an claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters and figures of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the structure embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view showing the means for indeendently propelling the different series of evices. Fig. 3 is a crosssection on the line 3.3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a broken plan view of thedriving ap aratus. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view 0 a modified meansof driving a part of the apparatus. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan of thestructure shown in Fig; 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of anothermodified form of the structure, and Fig. 8 is a broken plan view of thestructure shown in Fig. 7.

In carrying out my invention I employ a central hollow post or illar 10which is mounted upon a suitable door 11 and I prefer to arrange space12 beneath the floor to provide for the driving mechanism, which may beelectric motors or any suitable engines.

This also enables me to conceal the bracing supports 10" which connectwith the pillar 10. The hollow pillar or post 10 enables me to concalthe vertical driving shafts 13, 14, and 15, and obviously there may beany reasonable number of these shafts from one up, and at their lowerends they project below the pillar or post 10 and as shown, have drivinggears 16, but they may have any operative means of connecting withdevices to turn the shafts. This driving means may, of course, be anindependent means for each shaft so that if desired, the shafts andtheir propelled mechanism may be conveniently given different speeds.The tops of the shafts 13, 14, 15, have driving gears 17, one of whichis arranged just above the illar to as shown in Fig. 2, for a purposeiereina ter described, and the others project through openings in thepillar so as to engage the gears 19 on the inner sides of the rings 18,which rings are arranged one above the other and encircle the pillar orpost 10 near the up er art thereof, the said rings having re era lyreduced lower edges 20 which ri e in rollers 21, the latter beingpivoted on the post 10. Obviously any, suitable bearings can besubstituted for the arts 20 and 2]., such as the well known rollerearings or ball bearings, to enable the parts to turn with the greatestease.

Projecting radially from each ring 18 are arms 22 and each series ofarms are of different lengths so that each can serve as a means forpropelling a different series of devices. To this end the arms carrydrop cables 23, although rods can be substituted if preferred, and theseconnect with devices to be moved in much the usual manner. For instance, the longer arms 22 carry the carriages or automobiles 24 whichobviously may be any sort of vehicles and these run on a track 25. Thenext series of arms 22 carry the horses 24 which move over a track 26,and the third series of arms carry vessels in the form of boats whichmove in a track 27 and the latter can be filled with water so that theboats will sail. These details are however immaterial and obviously anydesired number of these concentric tracks can be used and any objects ofinterest can be substituted for the carriage, horses and boats, as forinstance, the bicycle shown in Fig. 5, and hereinafter specificallyreferred to.

A convenient means of bracing the arms is 25 the gear 17.

40 the spring will elongate to permit this.

45 their driving shafts.

shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and here inclined braces 28 connect with theouter ends of the arms 22 and with a ring 29 which rides on rollers orother suitable bearings 30 on the post 10, and the rings can be gearedto the same driving shaft which is geared to the ring 18, so that theparts shall have the proper unity of movement. The short arms 22 carry atrack 31 (see Fig. 2) which sustains rollers 32 on the underside of thenext upper arms 22, and a likearrangement is placed between these middlearms 22 and the longest arms as the drawing clearly shows. Thisarrangement affords a convenient means for bracing the arms, but othersuitable means can be substituted if desired.

The upper and middle arms 22 can be braced by trusses 22 if desired. InFigs. 5 and 6 I have shown means of driving the arms 22 which permitsthe arms to have an independent movement. To this end the gear 17 isloose on the shaft 14 and the connection between the two is made by apawl 35 on the shaft and the ratchet wheel 36 on The arms 22 can connectwith a bicycle 37 which can be a regular self-propelled wheel and so therider can depend on the movement of the wheel from its supporting meansor he can use his own exertions and drive the wheel faster which ispermitted by reason of the ratchet connection with the driving shaftjust described. To facilitate this it is well to have a'ball bearing forthe ring 18 and I have shown balls 33 ar- 'ranged between the ring and asupporting the control of the operator they may be alternately drivenfaster and slower so that one set of objects may move ahead and then theother, thus giving to all intents, the racing effect and thereforeenhancing the amusement.

The structure which I have just described is preferably housed in andthe part 39 at the sides can carry a housing 38 which can be of anyapproved design and which can have a stationary floor 40 and also arotating floor 41, this being preferably supported by means of rollerbearings 42 or other easy bearings,

and the floor 41 can connect by a gear 43 with the top gear 17 alreadyreferred to, 'so that the people who wish can sit or walk on thestationary floor 40, while others can dance or promenade on the movablepart 41. At the top of the structure is an observation tower 44 whichcan be reached by an elevator 45 and this can beoperated in any usualway. In Figs. 7 and 3 I have shown a modification of the invention whichpermits the several series of figures to move independently, as alreadystated, and it provides also for an independent move of the figures, asfor instance, a rocking move of a horse or other thing to be ridden. Ashere shown, the rods 23' carry independent platforms 47, which areconcentric and can be moved at the same many different devices can beused for el' 7 fecting this independent movement, and the wheels 48 canbe dispensed with if desired.

It will thus be seen that I provide a great source of concentratedamusement. The concentrically moving devices which can be regulated asspecified to go faster or slower, the music which always accompaniessuch things, the movable dance floor, the sta tionarypart adjacent toit, the observation tower, and the elevator to reach it, all combine tomake an amusement device which is attractive and comprehensive.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let- .ters Patent,

1. A structure of the kind described, comprising a hollow post orpillar, vertical drivmg shafts arranged therein, plural series of armsturning around the pillar, the series of arms being of differentlengths, operative driving connections between the arms and theaforesaid shafts, and movable objects carried by the arms.

2. A structure such as described, comprising a hollow pillar, verticaldriving shafts supported therein, rings turning on the pillar and gearedto the shafts, and a series of arms projecting outward from each ring,the several series being of difierent lengths, and each series carryingmovable objects.

3. A structure such as described, comprising a hollow post or pillar,vertical driving shafts arranged therein, plural series of arms turningaround the pillar, the series of arms being of different lengths,operative driving connections between the arms and the aforesaid shafts,a series of concentric platforms carried by the arms, and movableobjects on the platforms.

4. A structure such as described, comprising a hollow post or pillar,vertical driving shafts arranged therein, plural series of arms turningaround the pillar, the series of arms being of difierent lengths,operative driving connections between the arms and the aforesaid shafts,a series of concentric platforms suspended from and carried by theseveral arms, and objects on the platforms, said objects being movedindependently of the platforms.

WVINFIELD S. THURLOVV.

Witnesses:

FRED M. SANBORN, CHESTER A. VVALKER.

